(Phoenix, Ariz. - May 25, 2010) Attorney General Terry Goddard today reminded consumers about a “phishing” scam purported to be from Credit Union West, a Glendale-based financial institution, requesting personal information. Over the last several months, the Attorney General’s Office has seen an increase in calls regarding this particular scam.

Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile customers have received text messages stating that their Credit Union West account has been suspended because of unusual activity. The text messages provide a phone number for the customers to call to get their account back in good standing. Cox Communication customers have also received voicemails with similar messages.

This is a scam! Credit Union West does not ask for confidential information through text message or email. If you have received one of these text messages, voicemails or emails, do not respond or call the number provided. Instead, notify the credit union and delete the message.

Goddard offered the following tips to avoid becoming a victim of phishing scams:

Be wary of text messages or phone calls that request personal information. If you do not know who is making the request, delete the message or hang up.

Do not give out personal information, such as your Social Security number, bank account numbers or credit card numbers, to anyone you do not know.

If you receive a call asking for personal information, hang up and call your financial institution to verify that the request is valid.

Report any suspicious calls to the Attorney General’s Office at 602.542.5763

If you believe you have been a victim of consumer fraud, please contact the Attorney General's Office in Phoenix at 602.542.5763, in Tucson at 520.628.6504, or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at 1.800.352.8431. Consumers can also file complaints online by visiting the Attorney General’s Website atwww.azag.gov . To file a complaint in person, the Attorney General’s Office has satellite offices throughout the state with volunteers available to help. Locations and hours of operation are posted on the Attorney General’s Web site.